lúcio santos

cat shelter model

2011-12-14T23:04:00.001-05:00

1:4 scale laser cut chip-board model done before fabricating the full scale cat shelter. great for figuring out the assembly sequence of the ribs and struts as well as presenting any problems in the notch connections.

photo by Coe Will

cat shelter

2011-12-13T00:38:00.002-05:00

Lúcio, in collaboration with FXFOWLE, designed a feral cat shelter to be donated and located somewhere in the 5 boroughs of New York City. The cat shelter serves as a kitty ‘pod hotel’ containing 3 fully insulated pods varying in length to be used primarily in the colder winter months and 2 non insulated pods for the summer with the interstitial space and plywood frame serving as a kitty jungle gym. Each pod contains a pair of hinged doors to allow entry from either end, as well as to provide two means of egress in case of a threat. The pods are easily removable from the plywood frame for maintenance and repair, and can be retrofitted or swapped out to accommodate growing colonies or different seasons.

Using the concept of a vacuum flask (thermos), each insulated pod was fabricated by placing a tube within a larger tube and filling the void between the two with insulation. A 10” PVC tube wrapped with recycled plastic insulation was placed into a 12” PVC tube and the two ends were filled with expanding foam insulation and capped with a laser cut white acrylic ring onto which the cat doors were fixed. All joints and seams were filled with silicone sealant to make the pods water resistant. Each non insulated pod was produced using a 10” PVC tube wrapped in ½” sisal rope and capped at each end with cat doors. The sisal rope provides a scratch surface for sharpening claws and a textured surface for cats to climb and lounge on.

The frame was painted using a polyurethane based wood stain to seal the plywood and give it rich walnut color. Each of the vertical ribs and horizontal struts were fastened together using brad nails and flat-head screws.

2.5m long x 1.1m wide x .8m high

25 vertical ribs – 33 notches/rib

33 horizontal struts – 25 notches/strut

(10) ¾” sheets baltic birch plywood

(4) ½ pint Minwax American Chestnut Gloss Polyshade

(1) 10 foot 12” PVC tube

(1) 10 foot 10” PVC tube

(1) Roll recycled plastic insulation

(2) Expanding Foam Insulation spray cans

(10) Glaztec Catwalk cat doors

400 feet ½” sisal rope

More information on the event:

Giving Shelter is a one-night event that benefits the Mayor Bloomberg’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals. Participating architectural firms design, build and donate creative and fun outdoor winter shelters to provide NYC’s homeless cats with refuge from the cold/freezing temperatures. At the event these shelters are on display to the public, and then donated to caregivers who work with the NYC Feral Cat Initiative.

According to current estimates, tens of thousands of homeless, stray and free-roaming cats live on the streets and in alleyways, back yards, and abandoned lots throughout the city. Many of the cats live in groups known as “colonies.” The winter months are particularly difficult for these cats, when inclement weather creates serious and life-threatening challenges, including finding food, water, and shelter. Shelter is vitally important and that is where the architectural community comes in. Giving Shelter is a competitive event in which the architectural and design industries will showcase their talents while improving the lives of NYC’s outdoor & homeless cats.

Links:

http://architectsforanimals.com/

http://www.facebook.com/mayorsalliancenyc

http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54612307@N06

Thanks to Philip Anzalone, Brigette Borders, & Ray Ho from Columbia University GSAPP Laboratory for Applied Building Science, for CNC milling the plywood (http://www.arch.columbia.edu/labs/fablab). Thanks to Nobu Arai and Gerardo Sustaeta for assembly and fabrication of the pods and many thanks to Brien McDaniel for organizing the initiative.

pixels

2010-10-05T01:38:00.002-04:00

using these pixelated screens in defining individual dining zones for a restaurant they also functioned as the main group areas with portals that allowed guests to use the screens as tables. the concept was to break the monotony of a flat surface by pixelizing the wall into modular boxes along the undulating surface, bringing an abstracted representation of the garden inside.

option one was intended to be a living green wall, each box containing soil for growing plants.

option two used the same boxes as a frame in filled by smaller glass cubes of varying sizes.

experimentadesign lisboa 2009

2009-09-12T11:11:00.014-04:00

digital primitive #2: iterative design
digital primitive - caterina tiazzoldi + eduardo benamor duarte

digital primitive extended is an installation that presents the work of a group of architects, designers and manufacturers in new york, representing a conceptual and productive reality in the city.

they are digital because they are the first generation of new york designers and architects graduated in a context characterized by digital modeling techniques and computer numerical control (CNC) manufacturing. they are primitive because they have to provide an answer to the limitations posed by a city like new york.

lúcio has been invited to present current research as part of the digital primitive installation in the cais do sodré underground metro station.

FACETED | FIBROUS | STRUCTURES is a research endeavor focusing on producing complex double-curved structural geometries using standard planar materials assembled together in linear strips. When a material is folded its bending strength is increased parallel to the fold. Using ancient paper folding techniques (origami) as inspiration, the concept of folding flat metal sheets allows one to triangulate geometries and generate long volumetric folded strips that can then be assembled together to create structural ribs.

The apertures and depth of the faceted system can be sized according to solar gain requirements as well as structural performance criteria and/or weight reduction necessity. Using standard CAD/CAM technologies, the folded strips can be easily manufactured from planar sheets using CNC, laser, or water-jet cutters.

Design of the FACETED | FIBROUS | STRUCTURES was developed in Rhino using Rhino Scripting. The structure is generated using a base surface onto which 3 layers of points are plotted. The top layer represents the exterior, the middle layer the center, and the bottom layer the interior. Surfaces are then created from the points using an elongated hexagonal pattern.

XO.S | PAVILION

The XO.S | PAVILION is a formal exercise emulating biomorphic exoskeletal systems, intended to be used as a temporary place of gathering. It funnels pedestrians from one end to the other, compressing at the center and then widening at both ends dividing space into two zones. The pavilion is fabricated from stainless steel folded strips, laser-cut from flat sheets and welded together. The exterior is painted with a high-gloss black car paint finish while the interior and inner faces are painted white.

faceted fibrous structures

2009-08-06T01:00:00.004-04:00

here the faceted linear strips have been given depth (voxelized) to function as a fully capable self-supporting, exoskeletal, structural system. the faceted strips, or fibres, can be easily manufactured from planar sheets and assembled together to produce these structural fibres.

"Fibre is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissues together. " --Wikipedia

faceted structures

2009-08-04T03:28:00.005-04:00

focusing on producing complex double-curved geometries using standard construction materials, the concept of folding flat metal sheets, similar to "origami", allows one to triangulate geometries and generate long folded strips of material that can then be fastened together.

here is a quick study for a folded metal structural system. at the moment the system is very similar to the folded metal ceiling in that it has no "thickness" and would rely on a primary and secondary structural system. the next step is to develop a 3-dimensional 'voxel' unit with volume to become a self-supporting structural component.

the openings in the system are randomly sized to create a non-repetitive pattern. the next area of study will be fenestration & solar responsivity, and sizing of the individual components based on structural performance.

"A voxel (a portmanteau of the words volumetric and pixel) is a volume element, representing a value on a regular grid in three dimensional space. As with pixels in a bitmap, voxels themselves do not typically have their position (their coordinates) explicitly encoded along with their values. Instead, the position of a voxel is inferred based upon its position relative to other voxels (i.e., its position in the data structure that makes up a single volumetric image). In contrast to pixels and voxels, points and polygons are often explicitly represented by the coordinates of their vertices. A direct consequence of this difference is that polygons are able to efficiently represent simple 3D structures with lots of empty or homogeneously-filled space, while voxels are good at representing regularly-sampled spaces that are non-homogeneously filled." --Wikipedia

faceted metal ceiling

2009-05-09T01:21:00.004-04:00

here are a few renderings of the folded ceiling system applied in the lobby. about 300m2 total surface area which would require about 100 modules similar to the mock-up from the previous post.

folded metal ceiling

2009-01-31T00:39:00.011-05:00

below are some photos of a 1:1 mockup of a faceted metal ceiling system. this 1.6m x 1.6m panel is fabricated entirely out of 1/16" thick stainless steel and weighs around 90 kilos. the module is comprised of 8 continuous folded strips, laser cut from flat sheets, welded together, with a metallic golden lacquer finish. the primary structural ribs are laser cut following the angles of the folded facets providing a seem for welding the strips together, with 16 sub-frames for lateral stability.

Random Close Packing II

2008-10-04T01:46:00.003-04:00

here's another try at producing random close packing on a surface with a rectilinear module. two curves where plotted along the surface with random z-coordinates. a surface was then generated by lofting between the two curves.

Random Close Packing

2008-09-24T23:42:00.002-04:00

sorry for the hiatus in posting this summer but between the beautiful weather, being busy at the office, and spending time with my 21 month-old daughter i just couldn't find time to post anything new. but alas with the warm summer days gone and vacations nearly forgotten i will be focusing back onto production mode.

above are some images of my interpretation of 'RCP' (random close packing) on a surface. essentially a educlidean grid was generated on the surface,randomly rotated curves were plotted relative to the surface normals and used as paths to extrude variable curve profiles plotted on the surface. a random color range was applied to each surface relative to its z-coordinates.

random close packing (RCP) is an empirical parameter used to characterize the maximum volume fraction of solid objects obtained when they are packed randomly. --Wikipedia

pixelization

2008-07-03T23:16:00.003-04:00

here are a few images of experimenting in creating a large ceiling as an aggregation of pixels.

Modularity - a rational approach to complexity

2008-06-24T23:50:00.007-04:00

i was invited to write an article by jose pedro sousa (www.re-d.com), coordinator of the digital technology section of the portuguese architecture magazine 'arquitectura e vida', for the april issue. entitled 'modularity - a rational approach to complexity' the article focuses on the use of digital technologies and processes in architecture, namely the process of simplifying complex geometries into smaller components facilitating fabrication, transportation, and assembly.

here are the magazine spreads with the english text below.

Modularity – A Rational Approach to Complexity

The primary focus of my research is modularity, not necessarily in the sense of mass produceable self-similar parts but more in the sense of breaking down complex geometries into identifiable, describable, elements for representation and fabrication. I'm interested in producing seamingly complicated forms with standard contruction methods and non-expensive materials. The research is process driven, it focuses on simplicity and maintaining clear formal gestures.

The digital platform with which I work is Rhinoceros developed by McNeel, traditionally used for industrial, automotive, and marine design it has become increasingly popular among architects. It is a free-form NURBS modeling software that provides a vast selection of tools for building, documenting, and fabricating complex geometries. Forming Complexity My design process normally begins with a top-down approach. First by generating a preconceived non-standard form that evolves from the design brief and then setting out in trying to deconstruct [rationalize] it into a series of elements [modules]. This form becomes the base geometry from which the modules will be referenced to and which all other building components will be extracted from. The underlying concept for the geometry of my proposal for the ‘DRL_Ten Pavilion’ competition was to create a biomorphic formal expression of the post-graduate program’s growth and evolution since its conception. The aim of the proposal was to test the structural capabilities of ‘fibre-c’, an advanced technology fibreglass reinforced concrete panel, as a suitable material for non-standard forms (Figura 1a & 1b). Similar to working with traditional plastic materials such as clay, the base geometry was sculpted from a planar NURBS surface. Using the ‘Rebuild’ tool to increase the amount of control points on the surface (Figura 2a), adding a greater degree of precision and control, the control points where then manipulated to generate the base geometry (Figura 2b). In order to specify the required depth of the structure I offset the finalized base geometry surface using the ‘OffsetSrf’ tool (Figura 2c). The ‘Modular Dining Experience’ was a mini-charrette investigating modular dining configurations suitable for at least ten people within a 3.3m x 3.3m x 3.3m volume. The concept was to have a sitting arrangement which included the table, seats, and spatial envelope created from one continuous surface (Figura 3a). Different then the previous example the base geometry was not created using a push-and-pull method of control points but rather by creating a surface from NURBS curves. The base geometry was formed using the ‘Sweep2’ tool between two profile sections [each having the envelope inclined in opposite directions] connected by two edge curves functioning as rails, providing greater control over the deformation of the surface (Figura 4a). Forming Modularity Modularity, in the pure sense of the word, refers to the subdivision of a system into smaller parts that can be independently manufactured and replaced. Modularity can also refer to surface tessellation by composing a complex surface with smaller components [modules], similar to mosaic tiles, which like in the automotive industry, can be replaced and interexchanged to create variations within the design. Extracting modules from the base geometry normally begins by applying onto the surface a grid that defines the maximum size a module can be. Depending on the complexity of the surface, and or the desire to have planar as apposed to curved modules, the grid may vary in its true spacing. This happens when applying an orthogonal cartesian grid onto a surface with variable curvature. In the case of the pavilion proposal, the concept was to pixilate the surface with flat fibre-c panels. In order to compensate for the variable surface curvature the central spine of the geometry was subdivided, using the ’Divide’ tool, into segments of a specified length to locate the placement of the grid lines on the surface (Figura 5a). Zones of similar curvature were created to define panel widths, allowing for panel repetition (Figura 5b). The base geometry was split by the grid lines into individual bays. Each bay was then flattened using the ‘CreateUVCrv’ tool to form guides for the placement of the panels in 2d (Figura 6a). Once the panels were laid out each strip was reapplied back onto the faceted bays in 3d using the ‘ApplyCrv’ tool. Because the base geometry contained double-curvature each module had to be flattened relative to its average normal by using the ‘SetPT’ tool (Figura 5c). Breaking apart the overall form of the pavilion into typical zones aided in reducing the number of moulds to five, each creating between four and six fibre-c module variations, resulting in a total of 22 unique panel types (Figura 6b). The panels were designed based on the structural principle of folding a flat sheet of material to increase its structural properties. The folded edges of the modules transfer vertical forces to the support structure below (Figura 6c). In the case of the ‘Modular Dining Experience’, the concept was to deconstruct the continuous double-curved surface into six striations of single-curvature. Using the ‘Contour’ tool a spaced series of planar curves were created over the base geometry (Figura 4b) and were then extruded in the same direction. Each extruded striation was then given a thickness by using the ‘OffsetSrf’ tool [with solid option selected] (Figura 4c). Each individual striation serves as a self-contained dining module for two that can be packed together to serve groups (Figura 3a) or pulled apart and completely separated for more intimate settings (Figura 3b). Both projects involve the creation of modularity by extracting information from a base geometry. While the pavilion attempts to facet the complex geometry by reconstructing it with flat panels the modular dining simply uses the base geometry as a starting position for the striations. Forming Explicit Logic Similar to other CAD software Rhino is equipped with its own scripting interface called Rhino scripting, a programming language based on Microsoft’s Visual Basic (VB). It is part of a bottom-up process that involves defining a set of parameters [rules and algorithms] which allow a user to program a series of commands to automate a sequence of operations.

Scripting provides the ability of automating repetitive functions as well as generating emergent forms by applying explicit logic to the modeling process. There are two methodologies in which scripting can be very useful within design: firstly as an agent for generating modularity of a surface and secondly as an agent for planning modular space. A script is normally composed from a loop, or series of looped functions. For this reason it is important to set limits so as to avoid having a script loop endlessly. With the first methodology the base geometry set’s the limit, the script will begin from one corner and work its way [like a printer] across the surface until it reaches the last corner. In planning modular space a boundary needs to be defined. In defining modularity of a surface one begins with a base geometry similarly to the previous examples. In the case of the ‘DRL_Ten Pavilion’, an alternate proposal experimented with creating a primary structure [using the same method of extracting structural elements from the base geometry] (figura 7a) and applying the fibre-c panels purely as cladding with no structural properties. A generative growth script was used to apply the overlapping flat panels onto the base geometry that varied in length and width depending on the surface curvature (figura 7b). ‘Cellular living’ was a study in creating a modular residence from a voronoi planar composition. A set of points were plotted to define general cell placements. The script plots a series of cells through the proximity of the points to each other and to the boundary [defined by the required floor plate area] (figura 8a). To avoid having a defined edge [caused by the boundary] the cells were individually edited to animate the exterior line as well as allow for terraces and balconies (figura 8b). The modular residences can be mass-produced [pre-manufactured and assembled on site] as detached single-family homes (Figura 9a & 9b), assembled together to form high-rise towers (Figura 9c) or horizontal residential blocks (Figura 9d).

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion Opens

2008-06-16T20:46:00.006-04:00

finally the bridge pavilion opened last friday 13 june, along with the international expo2008 in zaragoza, spain. Here are some shots by photographer luke hayes via dezeen.

surface scaling

2008-04-08T23:55:00.003-04:00

i've been testing different cladding options for complex geometries, this is a simple hexagonal script applied to the base surface. the hexagon cell is lofted to a single point which creates a very nice scale effect on the surface.

surface tesselation

2008-04-06T03:03:00.002-04:00

i've been working on tessellating complex surfaces with flat panels. in order to achieve fixed seams triangulation seems to be the obvious choice so focus can be applied on the design of the reveal between panels. this script plots a grid of points on the surface, draws a polyline through 3 points, rounds the edges of the polyline, and then creates the panel surface.

folded surface cladding

2008-04-04T00:36:00.006-04:00

here are a few images of a cladding system composed of a folded cellular arrangement.

folded surfaces

2008-03-18T15:12:00.003-04:00

here are a few images testing folded surface generation.

paper exhibits zero gaussian curvature at all points on its surface, and only folds naturally along lines of zero curvature. but the curvature along the surface of a non-folded crease in the paper, as is easily done with wet paper or a fingernail, is no longer subject to this constraint. -Wikipedia

cellular house

2008-03-08T00:35:00.004-05:00

some further development of the cellular typology. working the floor plan of this detached home to include outdoor terraces at every other cell as well as experimenting with framing the openings on the façade.

DRL TEN Pavilion

2008-02-28T00:49:00.006-05:00

following the DRL_TEN exhibition opening 22 February at the Architectural Association in London i'm revisiting my proposal for the pavilion. below are the submission sheets. [C]Space the winning entry, designed by alan dempsey and alvin huang, is on site and well under way. scheduled to open to the public 13 March.

topo-xelated

2008-02-09T01:32:00.000-05:00

here are a few images of a landscape i'm working on. it was a result of sculpting a surface to place its isocurves in an interesting arrangement and then applying a script, with much help from my friend marc fornes / theverymany, which plots a grid of points on the surface and creates a flat panel. relatively simple process but the results are rather interesting. this pixelated topography provides visitors with a playground of varying levels.

striations

2008-02-08T00:12:00.001-05:00

continuing with the striated / modular approach to design, this is a conceptual study for a lightweight sky bridge connecting two buildings above ground. this structure can also be a free standing formal pavilion. each striation contains only single curvature.

modular bathroom

2008-02-06T01:46:00.000-05:00

revisiting an older post, i've brought back this modular bathroom to tie it into the previous series of modular designs which i'm calling the Réd collection, for obvious reasons... they are part of the essential components of our daily life: living, dining, bathing.

cellular house

2008-02-03T22:38:00.002-05:00

experimenting with the previous residential cellular typology for a high-rise, one residential module can be used as a detached single-family home, pre-manufactured and assembled on site.

the perianth bench

2008-01-21T23:44:00.000-05:00

a variation on the same design theme from the previous post, the perianth bench seeks its inspiration from nature namely flower petals. looking to continue this series i will be posting more "perianth" designs in the coming weeks.

the perianth stool

2008-01-19T01:53:00.000-05:00

this is a concept for a stool i'm developing, using bio-design inspirations, in this case the petals of a flower that become both the structural and the seating elements. all the petals of a flower are called a corolla, a perianth is when the petals vary in size and/or color. the perianth stool is composed of two unique elements that are then mirrored along the longitudinal axis making the corolla bilaterally symmetrical.

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion

2008-01-03T14:11:00.001-05:00

more progress construction photos of the bridge provided by Manuela Gatto, the lead architect. both parts of the bridge are about 24 m apart and will be pulled together in a few days.

more photos available at:
http://arqhoy.blogspot.com/search/label/Zaha%20Hadid
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=pabellon+puente

dining experience

2007-12-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

here are some images of my modular dining experience

cellular living

2007-12-17T17:10:00.003-05:00

following the previous post, here are some studies of stacking the duplex units horizontally.

cellular living

2007-12-13T09:30:00.002-05:00

i'm currently working on a residential project based on a voronoi planar composition.

banco

2007-11-17T00:22:00.000-05:00

again starting from a primitive geometry, the cube, i'm using old-school 'push-and-pull' modeling methods to deform the cube to generate an appealing object. the flower blossom is a low stool that can be placed anywhere and clustered together to create social seating areas.

deformed box house

2007-11-15T12:55:00.000-05:00

this is a small case study i'm working on called the deformed box house. essentially starting as a box it is deformed to explore the functional spaces that can emerge. the module can be rotated and mirrored to create extensions and additions to the primary box. cladding was generated with a voronoi script, interesting development was to keep the larger elliptical surfaces and allow apertures only at the intersections.

more images to come...

honeycomb script

2007-11-13T12:20:00.000-05:00

here are a few images of a rhino scripting exercise to create a gradient honeycomb pattern on a surface. the surface i used was that of my AADRL TEN proposal. the script essentially plots a honeycomb grid, scaling down the hexagons closest to the 'locators', in this case a randomly plotted point cloud. the gradience can be controlled by pre-defining the location of the locators.

chaise lounge

2007-11-08T16:19:00.000-05:00

here are some conceptual images for a lounge chair i'm working on made of molded fiberglass.

Stockholm

2007-11-07T00:35:00.000-05:00

i took these photos in 2003 during my trip through sweden and finland.

Rock Church

2007-11-06T23:47:00.001-05:00

i was in helsinki a few years ago and visited the amazing Temppeliaukio Church.

"Temppeliaukio Church (Temppeliaukion Kirkko in Finnish) is a Lutheran church in the TöölöHelsinki. The church was designed by architects and brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, and opened in 1969. neighborhood of

The Temppeliaukio (Temple square) was selected as a location for a church in the 1930s, but the plan by J. S. Siren, the winner of the second competition to design the architecture of the church, was interrupted in its early stages when WWII began in 1939. After the war, there was another architectural competition, which was won by Timo Suomalainen and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1961. For economic reasons, the suggested plan was scaled back and the interior space of the church reduced by about one-quarter from the original plan. Construction finally began in February of 1968, and the rock-temple was completed for consecration in September of 1969.

The interior was excavated and built into the rock, but is bathed in natural light entering through the glazed dome. The church is used frequently as a concert venue due to its excellent acoustics. The acoustic quality is ensured by the rough, virtually unworked, rock surfaces. Leaving the interior surfaces of the church exposed was not something that was in the original plans for the church, but the orchestra conductor Paavo Berglund and the acoustician, Mauri Parjo, contributed to the plans. The back wall of the altar is a majestic rock wall, originally created by a withdrawing glacier.

The Temppeliaukio church is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city; half a million people visit it annually. The stone-hewn church is located in the heart of Helsinki. Maintaining the original character of the square is the fundamental concept behind the building. The idiosyncratic choice of form has made it a favorite with professionals and aficionados of architecture.

The church furnishings were designed by the architects. Organ builder Veikko Virtanenchurch organ, which has 43 stops. manufactured the

Unusually, there are no bells at the church, and a recording of bells composed by Taneli Kuusisto is played via loudspeakers on the exterior wall.

The construction of the church created several controversies. Youths were known to have painted graffiti at the construction site to bring attention to the famine in Africa with slogans of "BIAFRA!". Thanks to its squat shape and apparently impervious stone construction, the church is also occasionally known as the "Anti-Devil Defense Bunker" ("Piruntorjuntabunkkeri")." WikiPedia

signs at war

2007-11-02T00:29:00.001-04:00

these were taken during my visit to hong kong in 2004. the street signage and adverts are amazing. trying to out-do one another the signs reach further and further over the street to create an aggregated neon canopy, a physical manifestation (or predecessor) of those annoying web pop-ups. the interesting thing about this signage war is that they actually manage to mask the dilapidated 50 story housing blocks above them.

panoramic set

2007-10-30T23:17:00.001-04:00

a few photos i've taken in the past 5 years, part of my panoramic 'landscape' collection:

view of nyc from liberty state park

view of the houses of parliament

my hometown, city of torres vedras

the old elctro-domestics factory, casa hipolito, in torres vedras

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion

2007-10-30T22:50:00.001-04:00

latest site photos of the bridge, provided by the project architect manuela gatto.

photos were taken on the day before the right bank portion, seen below (138 meters long and weighing 2070 tons), was launched 27 meters over the river ebro connecting to the other half already in place.

DRL TEN Pavilion

2007-10-30T14:29:00.001-04:00

The AADRL_TEN pavilion is a bio-morphic formal expression of the DRL’s growth, reflecting the foundation of the graduate programme to its current world-wide recognition and prestige. The aim of this proposal is to test the structural capabilities of fibre-c as a suitable material for non-standard forms.

The panels have been designed based on the structural principle of corrugation, folding a flat sheet of material to increase its structural properties. The edges of the panels are folded to create rigid modules. The modules are stacked and bolted together with steel plate connections to form ribs, and each rib is fastened together to create an overall rigid tubular system. The folded edges of the modules transfer vertical forces to the laminated timber support structure. The infill surface of the module serves for lateral bracing and can be milled with a pattern to reduce material weight in areas of larger spans, creating a play between solid and transparency.

The challenge was to create repetition in the modules while trying to follow the complex curvature of the pavilion’s form. By breaking apart the overall form into typical zones, five moulds can be used to fold the wet fibre-c sheets. Each mould can create between four and six variations resulting in a total of 22 unique panel types.

Looking at a rule based system of neighbour associations, a voronoi script was used to produce the tessellation pattern, maintaining the surface’s structural requirement through its triangulated apertures. Using variation in flat panel sizes and applying apertures in specific locations created a pixelization of the pavilion’s surface and was enhanced by using five shades of grey standard to the fibre-c collection.

DRL TEN Pavilion

2007-10-29T19:26:00.000-04:00

The aim of this option is to test the structural capabilities of fibre-c while achieving a complex formal expression.

The pavilion is a formal expression of the growth of the DRL, starting from a small tail growing and engulfing everyone that comes to see it, reflecting the foundation of the graduate programme to the DRL’s current worldwide recognition and prestige.

The edges of the fibre-c panels are folded to create a rigid framed module. The modules are stacked and fastened together to form a structural rib, each rib is fastened together to create a rigid structural tubular system. In one direction the edges of the fibre-c modules behave as rings to transfer the weight down to the laminated timber support structure. In the other direction the edges act as lateral bracing. The infill pieces of the modules can then be milled with a pattern to create a global emergent effect as well as reducing material weight in areas of larger spans.

The challenge is to create repetition in the modules, by breaking apart the overall form into zones, each zone will use a unique module type. The module types range from square (at both ends of the pavilion) to diamond shaped (at the center of the pavilion), and infill pattern curvature goes from single (both ends of pavilion) to conical (at the center of the pavilion).

DRL TEN Pavilion

2007-10-29T19:19:00.000-04:00

more progress images

DRL TEN Pavilion

2007-10-29T18:56:00.000-04:00

here are some progress images of my submission for the DRL Ten Pavilion competition. developing as an animalistic form, the process involved rationalizing the surface to increase the amount of repetition in the cladding panelization.

Reception desk

2007-10-25T19:25:00.000-04:00

i'm currently designing a reception desk to be made of fiberglass in 2 colors with a corian counter top.

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion

2007-09-27T23:21:00.000-04:00

older site photos, provided by Manuela Gatto.

interior view of the "belly" / central pile cap with steel plate "diaphrams".

interior view of the steel plate "diaphrams".

view from beneath the steel plate "diaphrams".

1:1 facade mockup

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion - Zaha Hadid & Patrik Schumacher

2007-09-27T23:00:00.000-04:00

here are a few more photos of the bridge on site, provided by Manuela Gatto.

bridge deck was created by a series of "diaphrams" or ribs with steel paneling underside, bent and welded at the central support "belly" to form double curvature. 2 spinal arches "top chords" transfer loads to the pilecaps at both ends and centre of the bridge. connecting the deck to the "top chords" is the faceted diagrid which also acts as the secondary facade structure.

it was a great project to work on, rationalizing the geometry from the competition stage to construction documents, achieving repetition in the facade panelization while using planar structural elements to reduce cost.

all modeling was done in Rhino 3. Shop drawings were generated from a Catia 3d model.

cabana

2007-09-19T23:20:00.002-04:00

further development of the cabana module as a double-sided system sharing a central media / structural base.

voronoi cells

2007-08-18T23:47:00.000-04:00

testing surface patterns through applying a voronoi script on to a surface.

Rhino introduction class 2

2007-08-16T22:17:00.000-04:00

here are the results of the second day of rhino introduction class.

following the development of the previous class, we developed a surface, extracted the contours to create the structure, and re-applied a pattern to surface. this exercise shows how to extract information from a complex surface that can be used to develop structural placement.

Rhino introduction class

2007-08-16T22:02:00.000-04:00

Aug. 14-15 I tought an introduction class to Rhino for SOM employees, as part of in-house training. students varied from fresh beginners to intermediate users. lesson covered basic introduction of user interface to more advanced surface modeling. as a formal experiment and example of creating complex surface patterns for potential facade or screen design, outcome of the class is shown in the following renderings.

[rendered in Vray for Rhino 4]

Glass pavilion

2007-08-15T00:19:00.001-04:00

proposal for a glass pavilion generated as an abstract representation of the existing topography.

Q4 pavilion

2007-08-14T23:59:00.001-04:00

2005 post-graduate thesis at the Architectural Association Design Research Lab [DRL], London, done in conjunction with Diego Rosales, Yan Gao, & Hsun-Hui Yang. brief was to design a dynamic pavilion for the southbank on the river thames. for full thesis www.luciosantos.com/simshun

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion - Zaha Hadid & Patrik Schumacher

2007-08-10T15:13:00.000-04:00

construction photos taken earlier this year by manuela gatto, project architect.

view of the central, 3m thick, pilecap with steel frame that form the 'belly' of the bridge.photo collage of pod 4

façade mockup showing the tile pattern, window openings, & primary gutters.

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion - Zaha Hadid & Patrik Schumacher

2007-08-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

the bridge pavilion was commissioned as the 'iconic' entrance to the 2008 world expo in zaragoza, españa. 300m long with 2 levels, it is composed of 4 pods: 2 & 4 being the central , open-aired pedestrian passage flanked by pods 1 & 4 on both sides. the bridge will house a water conservation exhibition on the upper levels.

triangulated chair

2007-08-07T17:28:00.000-04:00

a few renderings of the first prototype.

snake pavilion

2007-07-30T19:14:00.000-04:00

the "snake pavilion" was a quick formal study in creating a surface, applying an orthogonal grid onto the surface to create a diagrid structure, and then applying a series of curves using the ApplyUVCrv command to develop a snake-like skin.

bathroom module

2007-07-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

the challenge was to design a typical bathroom configuration to fit all guestrooms in a hotel. because of the variation in size and proportion between every room a modular bathroom was developed to economize the bathroom space within the rooms.

triangulated chair

2007-07-25T09:37:00.000-04:00

starting from a lofted surface, a pattern of ellipses was applied. the centroids of each new surface were connected creating a triangulated frame. the centroids of each triangle where then projected onto the 0,0,0 plane and connected back to the triangulated frame creating a truss-like base.